by Edwin Crozier<\/p>\n
As Paul and Silas continued their European tour, they made their way through Thessalonica-where they caused an uproar, Berea-where the Jews were more noble-minded, and Athens-where Paul was dragged before the Areopagus to defend his preaching. They called him a babbler and accused him of preaching foreign divinities. These accusations call to mind the very accusations which caused Socrates to be executed in Athens about 450 years earlier.<\/p>\n
He connected well with his audience by addressing the altar to the unknown god. He wasn’t preaching foreign divinities as accused; he was claiming to know the God the Athenians recognized but didn’t know. He quoted their own poets to draw them in and establish common ground. Even using their own poets, he explained that their conception of God needed to change, and they needed to seek Him. He explained this wasn’t merely a suggestion but something God commanded.<\/p>\n
But then he mentioned something that threw the whole thing into a cocked hat. He said God had set aside a day to bring everyone into judgment before the man He had appointed by raising Him from the dead. This caused a divide. Some simply mocked. Some said, “We need to hear more about this.” A few immediately joined up with Paul and the disciples of Christ.<\/p>\n
This is important because skeptics today like to act like the ancients were all so superstitious and open to spiritual things that they were easily duped by teaching on the resurrection. However, as we read here and throughout the New Testament, people did not naively accept resurrection because they were superstitious. In fact, the resurrection itself prompted so many to reject the preaching before it was even finished. First and foremost, resurrection was foolishness because it meant the supposed God had died. Second, it was ridiculous because everyone knew then, as we all know now, that resurrection doesn’t happen. Resurrection is impossible.<\/p>\n
In fact, think this through. If people accepted resurrection because they were superstitious and just accepted things like that, then the resurrection of Jesus would not have even been a very incredible thing. It wouldn’t have changed anyone’s life. But these ancients, just like moderns, believed resurrection just doesn’t happen. So if you could convince someone it did, that would be a hugely important event. If people accepted the resurrection of Jesus because they believed resurrection was just one of those things that happens sometimes, then hearing about Jesus’s resurrection would have been an interesting but humdrum affair. But if it never happens because it is impossible, and then you became convinced on this one occasion it did, that would be a life-changing, world-changing event.<\/p>\n
That is exactly why preaching Jesus Christ’s resurrection changed lives and changed the world. Not because people naively and superstitiously accepted it. But because people were convinced it happened despite their belief that resurrection just doesn’t happen. When resurrection happens, it is a God-sized miracle. When resurrection happens, you stand up and take notice. When resurrection happens, you change your life to follow the one who pulled it off.<\/p>\n
That is exactly what happened when Paul went around preaching the resurrection of Jesus. Certainly, plenty of people rejected it. After all, resurrection just doesn’t happen. Some people wanted to hear more because, let’s face it, resurrection doesn’t happen; you can’t expect us to accept it on first hearing. And some people changed their lives because, if a man did the impossible, that man should get to rule my life.<\/p>\n
What do you think about Jesus’s resurrection? Will you believe He accomplished the impossible and surrender your life to Him?<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
by Edwin Crozier As Paul and Silas continued their European tour, they made their way through Thessalonica-where they caused an uproar, Berea-where the Jews were more noble-minded, and Athens-where Paul was dragged before the Areopagus to defend his preaching. They called him a babbler and accused him of preaching foreign divinities. These accusations call to…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[27],"tags":[664],"class_list":["post-98892","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-article","tag-resurrection"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":31874,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/do-you-support-conscientious-objection\/","url_meta":{"origin":98892,"position":0},"title":"Do you support conscientious objection?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 19, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Do you or your church support selective conscientious objection and conscientious objection? Answer: Registering for the draft is a government law that does not violate any teaching of God. \"Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1296,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/why-are-boy-girl-relationships-not-advisable-at-a-young-age\/","url_meta":{"origin":98892,"position":1},"title":"Why are boy-girl relationships not advisable at a young age?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"April 3, 2004","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Why are boy-girl relationships not advisable at a young age Answer: Youth is a time of impatient desires. They want the things available to adults, but adulthood seems so far away. The typical teenage boy enters puberty around the age of 11. The typical teenage girl enters puberty around\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":37138,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/we-lost-the-surprise-somewhere\/","url_meta":{"origin":98892,"position":2},"title":"We Lost the Surprise Somewhere","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 10, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton I remember watching Mayberry RFD and related shows most of my childhood. Poor ignorant Gomer Pyle who worked as an auto mechanic was a notable character. But I can still recall my shock when I found out that Jim Nabors, who played Gomer, could sing --\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Gomer.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":32196,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/is-it-a-sin-to-take-out-insurance\/","url_meta":{"origin":98892,"position":3},"title":"Is it a sin to take out insurance?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 20, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Is it a sin to take out medical insurance or legal insurance? Are we rather expected to put our faith in the Lord to take care of those things? Answer: We were taught to pray, \"Give us this day our daily bread\" (Matthew 6:11), but God still commands us\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":61889,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/the-book-of-my-life\/","url_meta":{"origin":98892,"position":4},"title":"The Book of My Life","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 23, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Job 19:23-27 \u00a0 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Each week the paper publishes its list of top selling books \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Sometimes the books are biographies, fictional stories, or fiction placed in historical settings. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0B.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0They hope that others will also purchase the books, if for no other reason than curiosity. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0C.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Many author\u2019s\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":6988,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/are-there-passages-that-refer-to-the-lords-supper\/","url_meta":{"origin":98892,"position":5},"title":"Are there passages that refer to THE Lord’s Supper?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"August 2, 2006","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: We have been studying the Lord's supper issues and one of our main concerns is about a second offering in which only a few partake, for the reasons you listed in your article (not doing it together). 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